He won't be giving away his cash, but in a few weeks, Penn students will get to see the man behind the hit quiz show Win Ben Stein's Money.
Yesterday, Connaissance announced that Ben Stein will visit the University in October as the group's fall speaker.
Stein, known for his dry sense of humor and monotonic speech pattern, will speak on Oct. 23 at Irvine Auditorium.
Currently the host of Comedy Central's Win Ben Stein's Money, Stein is a former Richard Nixon speechwriter. His deadpan comedy was featured in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off and the television show The Wonder Years, among others.
Connaissance Co-Director Samantha Cohen said that the committee's goal was to select a different type of speaker than they have had in recent years.
"We wanted to change the type of speaker we brought for the semester," Cohen said. "We wanted to bring someone who wasn't a politician."
Although Stein is also a conservative political activist, Cohen said his speech, called "Ben on Life," will go beyond the political arena.
"He's not going to stand up there and give a conservative lecture," Cohen said. "His take on things will be very funny."
Recent speakers for Connaissance -- a division of the Social Planning and Events Committee that sponsors a fall and spring speaker each year -- have included Benjamin Netanyahu, Madeleine Albright and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar.
Reaction to the announcement was mixed. Some applauded the selection, while others admitted they had never heard of Stein before. A few students questioned whether he would offer any intelligent insight.
"It's not like he's done anything recently that has some significance to what's going on currently," College freshman Stephanie Roach said.
College sophomore Jane Sanders said that Stein's off-beat personality will keep her away from the lecture.
"I think he's very arrogant and a jerk," Sanders said. "He's very condescending."
Other students, however, were pleased to hear about Stein's upcoming speech at Penn.
College freshman Claire Hofbauer said that his unique brand of comedy will make him a good choice.
"I think that his personality got him far in his political career," Hofbauer said. "I think he'd be an ideal speaker."
Connaissance Co-Director Leah Ferrucci said that part of Stein's appeal is that he has worked in many different fields.
"We think his diverse background will bring new ideas to campus," Ferrucci said. "He's a well-spoken person on any number of issues."
Stein attended Columbia University and was later valedictorian of his Yale Law School class. In addition to his acting career, he has written 15 books, including seven novels, and worked as a columnist for The Wall Street Journal.
Tickets for the event are $3 for PennCard holders. They will go on sale Oct. 16 on Locust Walk.
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